Vitesse v ADO

On Friday night ADO Den Haag played away at Vitesse Arnhem in the Gelredome stadium. After the disappointment of losing at home to ten man FC Groningen last week, ADO hoped fortune would favour them this time around in front of goal.

From the start it looked as ADO were going for an all out attack. Threat mainly coming down the right wing via Ruben Schaken. ADO were soon in front as in the seventh minute a cross was swung over to the danger area. The Vitesse defender Sheran Yeini only managing to misdirect his clearing header towards the far post. There waiting was leading goal scorer Mike Havenaar to apply the simplest touch to nod the ball home, 0-1.

After going behind, Vitesse lifted their game. They pushed forward and began to cause a few problems for the ADO defence. After twelve minutes Martin Hansen was called into action to prevent Milot Rashica from getting an equaliser.

ADO made more chances at the other end, Timothy Derijck headed over and then the keeper Eloy Room made two saves from Schaken. With only the one goal lead, ADO pressed for another goal, leaving gaps in the midfield. This eventually had consequences for the visitors.

In the thirty fifth minute Vitesse were awarded a free-kick. The cross was whipped in with pace by Lewis Baker and the club captain Guram Kashia rose highest and powerfully headed the ball passed Hansen into the net, 1-1.

The last chance of the half fell to Vitesse. Valeri Qazaishvili was running forward, He left defenders trailing in his wake and it was only a good save from Hansen that prevented the hosts going in front.

The second half began at a slower pace. Attacking openings were few, only goal scorer Qazaishvili had a slight opportunity to put Vitesse in front, but the effort was weak.

The game began to get slower and then in the sixty fourth minute ADO had some luck that was missing last week. A long, high clearance from the ADO half was not going to give the host defence any problem, or it should not have. The keeper was coming out to collect the ball, but defender Mikail van der Werff decided to give the ball an extra bit of help with his head. His touch diverted the ball from Room who could only watch on in horror as the ball crossed the goal line, 1-2.

Straight from the restart Vitesse put ADO under a lot of pressure. They were going at ADO from both flanks and through the middle. The ADO defence was being marshalled well by Tommie Beugelsdijk and Hansen. Vitesse just unable to create any clear openings. It looked as though the three points were heading back to The Hague.

Yet in the final minute, ADO succumbed to the pressure. Denys Oliinyk hit a low shot with power, that beat the outstretched hand of Hansen before hitting the back of the net. ADO players fell to their knees, 2-2.

It could have been worse too. Two minutes into added time, a shot from a narrow angle went through Hansen’s hands, across the goal line before being hoofed away, so from having three points ADO almost took none. Not a great game, but it saw ADO get their eleventh draw of the season. Sadly too many from a winning position.